Jermaine (JP) Perry, City of Milwaukee Firefighter and Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO), is one of our five WTMJ & WaterStone Bank Salute to Service Honorees for 2026.
A twenty-five-year veteran of the department, HEO Perry, on Sunday, May 11th 2025, responded to the “Mother’s Day” fire which swept quickly through a 4-story apartment building, trapping dozens of occupants in their apartments. The fire broke out at the Highland Court Apartments on Milwaukee’s north side, killing five peopleand displacing over 100 residents.
One of the first responding Milwaukee Fire Department ladder trucks was driven by HEO Perry, a veteran heavy equipment operator who had been trained extensively on the department’s newest aerial tower ladder, utilizing that training to perform many incredible rescues on that day…